Gary Lee Pritchard

Gary Lee Pritchard, 72, of Astoria, passed away Friday, June 26, 2015, in Portland.

Gary was born May 2, 1943, to Edgar Joseph Pritchard and Norma Jane Canada Pritchard. Gary grew up in upstate New York. Gary’s family remembers stories of him snow skiing behind an old Ford, pheasant hunting, and working summers at the air strip where his dad flew Air Force jets.

Gary enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Naselle, Wash. While in Naselle, he met his wife, Susan, from Astoria.

After his term in the service, he worked on a variety of jobs throughout his life which included working on the Megler Bridge; for Druckers Company, building centrifuges; commercial fishing; and being a maintenance electrician at 39th Street seafood cannery in Astoria. Gary eventually owned and operated Portway Machine Works, working with his son, Mike, till his retirement. He then worked at Columbia Steel Company to the present time.

His hobbies included hunting, especially duck hunting; racing dirt track stock cars; and working in his yard at home.

Survivors include his wife, Susan Pritchard of Astoria; son, Mike Pritchard of Astoria; granddaughters,

Allyson and Laurel Pritchard of Astoria; brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Candy Pritchard of Georgia; stepmom, Margaret Pritchard; sister and brother-in-law, Janet and Gary Mayberry of Arkansas; sister, Jo Pritchard of Minnesota; and two sisters-in-law, Janice O’Brien and Carol Arthur, both of Astoria.

A celebration of life gathering will be held Wednesday, July 15, 2015, at 12 noon at the Port of Astoria Building, No. 10 Pier 1, Suite 209, Astoria, Ore.